State says 1,700 fish killed by acid spill

State officials have an estimate of the number of fish killed by a tanker truck spill on a highway west of Ottumwa last week. Investigators say at least 17-hundred fish were killed when sulfuric acid spilled into Sugar Creek, west of Ottumwa, last Wednesday The chemical killed fish along a three-quarter-mile stretch of the stream. D-N-R officials say the catfish, walleye, largemouth bass and other fish that died were worth nearly 36-hundred dollars. Officials say their estimate is on the low side because road construction near the spill site made the water turbid and it was difficult to count submerged fish. The tanker truck turn-over is still under investigation, and state officials say a fine may be assessed if charged are filed. State officials are also investigating the cause of another fish kill, one that happened recently near Sibley, in northwest Iowa. The water in Otter Creek turned milky, and about 400 fish died, but investigators are waiting for tests to determine what caused the problem.